Don’t tag security personnel with party colours – Ghanaians urgedBouasker: offences reported in campaign essentially committed on social networks [Upd 1]

Mr Alexander Ato Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, incumbent Member of Parliament of Effutu, has called on Ghanaians to be mindful of tagging security agencies, teachers, and public servants with party colours. It was about time society desisted from continuously tagging personnel of security agencies and other institutions with party colours because they disagreed on certain issues, he said. 'If the institutions were not allowed to work and work well, the country's democracy would be nothing to write home about,' he noted. Mr Afenyo-Markin, the Deputy Majority Leader of Parliament and the Effutu Constituency NPP Parliamentary candidate made the call at a delegate's conference for his acclamation at Effutu Ateitu, a community in the Effutu Municipality, to contest the December 7 election. He referred to recent attacks on the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo-Dampare, by some members of the party who disagreed with him on certain security matters, and had called for his removal, describing that as 'not the best'. 'Let us disagree with some of their policies and criticise them, rather than calling for their transfers and removal.' He expressed concern over the politicisation of almost every national issue, which was destroying the country, and urged the public to be tolerant of each other's views and work together even if they disagreed for the development of Ghana. The MP stated that the public must not be deceived that parliamentarians were enemies as sometimes portrayed on television but rather they were friends who hardly fought each other. 'The NPP believes in diversity and it does not matter one's religion or ethnicity to get equal opportunity, which is always based on merit and it has demonstrated this through the selection of its flagbearer.' 'We are going to work as a team with the flagbearer, day and night, to ensure we break the eight,' he added. Source: Ghana News Agency President of the Independent High Authority for Elections (French:ISIE) Farouk Bouasker said offences reported in the runoff local elections campaign - either common law or election crimes- are essentially committed in the public space in social networks, websites and electronic platforms. These offences will be brought before the public prosecutor, Bouasker told reporters as he visited Tuesday the centre for monitoring the election campaign in dowtown Tunis, pursuant to the principle of equality before the law. These offences having criminal nature include crimes of spreading false news, rumours and slander against public official, i.e. the electoral commission, and public denigration. These offences are either common law or election crimes that are not committed by candidates but by people active on social media and in audiovisual media. Most of these election offences and crimes took place in the public space of social media. Audiovisual media reported the second largest number, followed by print and electronic media. These breaches and crimes also were reported as part of field activities. The ISIE council looks daily at these offences and issues decisions after having them classified as offences or crimes by experts in monitoring units. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

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